During the qualification of energetic materials (i.e., explosives, propellants, gas generants, pyrotechnics) for various types of ammunition (e.g., bombs, warheads, rockets, power devices), various methods are employed to characterize the reaction violence of the energetic material to such unplanned-for stimuli as dropping or enemy fire. In one test to characterize impact sensitivity, a universal receiver fitted with a standard test barrel is employed to fire a sample of energetic material with a known velocity at a nearby steel target plate. The impact of the energetic material sample upon the plate, which is usually recorded via high-speed cinematography, results in a violent reaction of the material, the degree or extent of which is used as a guide for further material development. Because of the close proximity of the target, the violent reaction and the potential for high-velocity flying debris, the operator is remotely located during gun firing. However, current devices require the operator to provide hands-on arming and safing of the test gun assembly.
The arming/safing procedure requires the operator to connect a device for pulling the sear and for moving the cocking piece from the SAFE position to the ARM position, or in the event of a misfire, from the FIRE position to the SAFE position. These hands-on procedures subject the operator to a potential injury in the event of accidental firing of the test assembly due to either mechanical defect or operator procedural error. Because the projectiles are developmental energetic materials whose sensitivities may not be fully understood, electrically-actuated solenoids or other electrical safe/arm devices are unsuitable, as any stray electrical currents may initiate the projectile material in the presence of the operator. Additionally, although the high-speed cameras are physically isolated from the test assembly, they are electrically controlled. Spurious electrical noise emanating from an electrical safe/arm device might cause the cameras or other data-recording devices to operate at an inopportune moment, thereby causing valuable data to be lost.